29 Sep, 2014

All-Natural Chapped Lip Care Tips…Not Just For the Ladies

By Soap Blogger

Male grooming may be all the rage this day and age, but it’s not as if we’ve yet reached a time when the average man doesn’t feel a prize plank layering on the lip gloss.

Metrosexuality is advancing by the day, but at the same time there are still some things most guys just aren’t comfortable with. As such, it’s for this exact reason that one of the most common skin complaints shared between men and women alike is chapped lips. Women blame overuse of cosmetics while men blame…well, anything they can think of at the time, but in any and all cases it’s not the nicest of afflictions.

But here’s the thing, it actually doesn’t take a whole lot of effort nor a dermatological genius to rid pretty much anyone of chapped lips for good. Admittedly, there are some skin conditions that require the hand and the wisdom of the pro, but for the most part chapped lips can be confined to the history books with nothing more than a little DIY.

And just for the record, we only ever favour natural remedies so you don’t have to worry about any of these:

Balm Before Beautifying

This may sound like a strange tip, but those who’ve tried it swear by it. If you’re in the habit of using all manner of products to cleanse and care for your face, it could be that these are drying your lips at the same time. As such, it might be a good idea to try applying a thin layer of lip balm before getting to work on the rest of your face, just to add a little protection from the stuff not designed with lip health in mind.

Close Your Mouth

Yes, we’re getting into the really obvious stuff now but boy does it warrant mentioning. The more you breathe through your mouth, the more you actively dry your lips faster and more brutally than you would if you breathed through your nose. So assuming you’re able to do so…as in not battling a cold for example…embrace the nostrils and give your mouth a rest!

Cool As A…

You’ve heard that cucumber slices can work wonders for your eyes, but you might not have known that the same can be true for your lips too. Take a couple of nice fresh slices of cucumber, pop them on your lips for five minutes and enjoy the gorgeously cooling sensation. It’s a great way of warding off chapped lips and also an effective cure – plus you’ll have to breathe through your nose! (See above)

Bad Habits Licked

It’s the most natural thing in the world to lick your lips when they’re dry and give them a dose of much-needed moisture. Sadly, it’s also the worst thing you can do as saliva just so happens to be packed with acids that will play havoc with your lips and make them even drier. It’s hard to fight the urge and even harder to kick the habit entirely, but you’ll get there in the end.

Honey

It might sound deliberately cruel to advise not licking your lips right before suggesting the use of honey as a soothing balm, but that’s just the way things are on this one! Honey is a brilliant product for soothing lips and can also be used in conjunction with fine sugar as a gentle exfoliant. And if you do lick it all off, you can always start again.

Resist the Urge

Nobody would deny that flakes of skin hanging off your lips don’t exactly look gorgeous, but at the same time there’s really nothing you can do worse than pick them off. Instead, use a gentle and all-natural balm to soften them and then next time you exfoliate they’ll come off on their own.

Go Organic

When it comes to buying soaps, cleansers and really any other balms and treatments you plan to use on your lips, never forget that the more chemicals and synthetic compounds they contain, the worse they’ll be for your skin. Sure, we’re biased, but at the same time we know that when it comes to doing your lips and your skin all the good in the world, you need to stick with nature’s finest.

Moisturising Makeup

There are some 100% organic cosmetics and lip colouring products that are designed to deliver a huge dose of moisture to your lips and keep it locked in. By contrast, others act as catalysts for the drying process and only make things worse with every use. As such, it’s in your best interests to be proactive in avoiding the latter.

Cover Up

When it’s really cold outside and you’ll be out there for more than a few seconds, use a scarf of some other kind of fashionable head covering to cover your lips and offer real protection from the elements. Cold weather can be simply horrible for chapped lips.

Beware Bad Balms

There are so many lip balms on the market today that sell by the million because they either look all shiny, taste like a dessert or come in a pretty box. But here’s the thing, the stronger the flavour, the brighter the colour and the lower the price, the more damage they might be doing to your lips. So if you are going to use a lip balm…and this includes the boys as well…go for one that’s 100% natural and not packed with weird and wonderful colours and flavours.

These are also bad news as they can cause your lips to become drier and more cracked with each use. Quite simply if you’re using the kind of toothpaste that leaves your lips tingling for about an hour after using it, chances are this isn’t doing them a great deal of good.

Get Them Checked

Last but not least, there’s always the chance that if nothing is working at all, you might be suffering either from a chronic skin condition or even an allergy to something you didn’t realise you were allergic to. As such, it’s in your best interests to go get them checked out, just in case.